5/5/2012 - Race Recap

By CAREY FOX
Times Sports Editor
PUTNAMVILLE — Mother Nature finally relented at Lincoln Park Speedway Saturday
night as action resumed a week after a rainout and a night after inclement
weather claimed racing at several other tracks around the state.
Jeff Bland Jr. was certainly happy that the rain subsided as he got past Casey
Shuman late in the sprint car main event to snatch the checkered flag in his B&B
Auto Broker, Brent Pottorff Logging sponsored No. 38.
In UMP Modified competition, Mason, Ill. native Kelby Simmons made an
outstanding pass of Jacoby Hines on the final turn to pick up the victory over a
32-car field. Troy Clark is undefeated at Lincoln Park Speedway feature racing
as he picked up win number three at the Putnamville oval in the UMP Super Stock
division. CJ Bryan was a repeat winner in the bomber A-main, topping Harry
Shepherd.

Kent Christian, Shuman and Bland Jr. each scored heat race wins to start the
night in the sprint car class and the group started up front along with Brent
Beauchamp in the top two rows.

Shuman appeared the man to beat as he took the green flag and quickly began to
open a gap on the rest of the field as Christian went side-by-side with Bland as
Jon Sciscoe and Beauchamp battled for fourth. Ethan Barrow and Seth Parker were
close behind the lead pack.

However, Shuman wasted little time getting into lapped traffic as his No. 22
sprinter was on a rail as Bland attempted to chase him down past the midway
point. Shuman might have won easily, but appeared to have some brief mechanical
issues as he slowed just enough to allow Bland to take over the point in
traffic. Shuman regained power and maintained his lead over Beauchamp, who was
able to make the pass over Christian after some contact with a lapped car.

Once he had the lead, Bland wasn’t going to give it up, masterfully managing
traffic over the final five laps to claim the win in the West Baden Indoor Kart,
VanHorn Graphics, ServPro sponsored sprint car. Shuman remained second ahead of
Beauchamp, Sciscoe, Christian, Barrow, Mike Hess, who started 14th, Parker,
Dakota Jackson and CJ Leary.

The UMP Modified feature had some twists and turns throughout as Wes McClara led
past the halfway point ahead of Hines and a battling group that included Bradley
Sterrett, Simmons, Greg Amick, Paul Bumgardner and Clint DeMoss.

However, McClara got loose coming out of turn four, which opened the door for
the charge of Hines into the lead as McClara slipped to third behind Simmons.
Behind them, Amick and Bumgardner brought out the caution in turn one to re-set
the field. Both drivers would not make the re-start and a late dash for the cash
was set.
As the field went green late in the A-main, Hines was holding off Simmons’
advances over the final few laps. The final two corners proved pivotal as
Simmons got a big run through turn three and was able to carry the momentum out
of turn four and enable the ‘Mason Missle’ to reach the checkers mere feet ahead
of Hines.
Simmons’ win came in the Faithful Oil, Mullins Racing Engine, Forward Racecar.
Hines, McClara, Sterrett and DeMoss made up the top-five. Craig Conyer was sixth
ahead of Schuyler Nahre, Kenny Carmichael Jr., Scott Ricketts and Kenny
Carmichael Sr.

Cullen Goodman and Slick Griffin took the green at the front of the super stock
field and duked it out for the lead ahead of Roy Bruce, Clark and Kenny
Carmichael Sr. early in the feature.

Clark moved into a door-to-door battle with Goodman after a re-start and was
able to get to the top for the pass over Goodman. Once he made the pass, Clark
was able to put some distance between himself and the second-place battle behind
Goodman and Griffin as Carmichael moved to fourth ahead of Bruce, AJ Clark and
Kris Starks.

The spirited race for second resulted in contact between Goodman and Griffin
with Goodman slipping back in the field as Carmichael Sr. took over
second-place. That’s the way it would stand as Clark claimed another feature win
with Bruce Jr. in third, Griffin scored fourth ahead of AJ Clark, Starks, Justin
Hammond, Doug McCullough, who won the B-main, Bobby Davis and Mike Staggs.

In the bomber feature, early mechanical problems sidelined front row starters
Josh Settles and Tim Wright as Shepherd took over the lead. Michael Harris held
down second-place ahead of Daniel Foxworthy and McCullough as Bryan moved
through the field after starting 10th.

McCullough would slow as Bryan picked off the frontrunners and moved into a
fight with Shepherd for the top spot. The pair would duel for several laps
before Bryan made the pass on the bottom and maintained that position for a
repeat win.